Improvement in box-openers



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stent, @time ROBERT BLAKE, O F SCRANTON, PENNSYLVA NIA.

Letters Patent No. 89,013, dated April 20, 1869..

IMPROVEMENT IN BOX-OPENERS.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT BLAKE, of Scranton, in the county of Luzerne, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and improved 'lool for Opening Boxes, aml other purposes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descripltion ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which represent a perspective view of a tool made in accordance witlrmy invent-ion.

The ordinaryT tool employed for opening boxes, consists of a bar, formed with a blade, and a shank, or handle, resembling, in some respects, an ordinary chisel; and, usually, the blade is divided, or provided with a V-shapcd slot, so that when it is driven between the 'box and cover to be removed, it may pass around, or on each side of the nail by which the cover is held.

When this bar box-opc11e1"is used, itis very apt t split the cover, for reasons well known to those who have occasion to employ such toolsone of the principal reasons being that the leverage can be applied but in one-direction.

The main object of my invention is to produce a boxopener, in which the leverage may be applied in different directions, and the blade may be corrcslminlingly tilted or raised, so that the cover may be `gnnlually loosened and raised, without injury; and to this end my invention may be stated to consist in combining, with the blade, and shank, or handle of a box-opener, of ordinary, or suitable construction, a second lever, or handdle, placed at right angles to, but in or parallel with, the plane ofthe blade, substantiall as hereinafter described.

In a tool made on this principle, the blade and its shank, as well as the second lever, or handle, may be constructed so as to be used not only for opening boxes, but for many other purposes.

In the drawingl A represents the box-opening blade, in which a V- shaped slot a maybe formed as in ordinary box-openers; and in this instance, thc blade is also formed so as to constitute a hatchet-blade.

B is the shank, or handle, forming the prolongation of the blade, and is shaped, at `b, to form a hammer'- head.

At right angles to the part B, but in the plane of the blade A, is placed the second handle, or lever C, the lower `end of which maybe provided with the claw, or nail-puller c.

In using the tool, the chisel or hatchet-end is driven between the box and its cover, and the la-ttercan then, by the combined use of the two levers, or handlcsB G,'\vhich cause the blade to be lifted or tilted both sidewise and up and down, be gradually loosened and detached without injury.

The tool may be made ot' iron and steel, or of iron or steel, the blade and hammer, or cllisel-hcad, being properly tempered, or chilled, or cast, and then annealed, or rendered malleable.

The tool, when thus formed, is admirably fitted to be used for many purposes besides box-opening; but some variations may be made inits construction without departing'ii'oin theprinciple o i' myfinvention.

For instance, the blade may be made short and narrow, so as to answeras a chisel and opener, or a hatchet-blade, and maybe provided, or not, witlrthe V-slot a, as may be deemed most desirable.

Again, the hannner-head b may be dispensed with, the shank being ot the same size throughout its length, and the claw c can also be removed; but in every instance it will be seen that the arrangement of the levers, with respect to the blade, remains unchanged, this constituting the most essential feature of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

A tool for opening bbxes, and for other purposes, constructed substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof, Ihave signed my name to this speciiicat-ion, before two subscribing witnessesv Witnesses Janus BLAKE, GEO. TODD. 

